Naruto: The Nail
by Infinity King
Summary: Iruka never caught Naruto during the Scroll of Seals incident, resulting in a drastic change. Now, a Naruto Uzumaki who has never been told he isn't a monster, leaves Konoha with blood on his hands - resulting in a drastically different Konoha.
1. The Nail

**Note: This fanfiction is greatly inspired by the comic arc, JLA: The Nail, credited to Alan Davis and Mark Farmer.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

_Chapter 1_

_The Nail_

_For want of a nail the shoe was lost,_

_for want of a shoe the horse was lost,_

_for want of a horse the the knight was lost,_

_for want of a knight the battle was lost,_

_for want of a battle the kingdom was lost._

_So a kingdom was lost – all for want of a nail_

_Variation from JLA: The Nail_

_DC Comics, 1998_

* * *

**Rooftops of Konoha**

**8:45 PM**

Swiftly, a brown haired, scarred man bounded from rooftop to rooftop, hoping desperately to find the blonde haired Uzumaki first. He knew if he didn't hurry, Naruto would likely be discovered by someone who felt much less compassion towards the orange eye-sore, and would likely be quick to cause damage to the poor academy student.

Now if only he knew where to look.

With a quick decision, Iruka Umino, said Naruto Uzumaki's sensei from the Konoha Ninja Academy, decided the fastest route to catching up with Naruto.

It would require him passing through an old abandoned construction sight from about thirty years earlier, but he was a trained Konoha Chunin, surely navigating such a dangerous landscape, for him, would be nothing.

He didn't take into consideration the fact that, not only was he a bit rusty, having been an academy teacher for the past few years, but he was also extremely worried about the person he considered a younger brother figure, and as such wasn't paying as much attention to his surroundings as he probably should have.

As such when he bounded across the construction sight, his right foot landed directly onto a nail, which easily broke through his flimsy sandals, and pushed through skin, causing him to trip in surprise. His head, of course, banged against an upright standing metal beam, which toppled over, causing a domino effect that caused the already falling apart site to finally, well, fall apart. Iruka toppled down a large hill that he had been about to leap over, and laid, knocked out on the ground.

Well, how about that!

* * *

**Secluded Training Ground**

**9:00 PM**

Naruto Uzumaki, prankster extraordinaire, grinned happily at the group of doppelgangers standing around him.

"Solid clones!" The excitement was practically oozing out of his voice. Around him, the clones poofed out of existence. "I can already think of some... distinct possibilities."

"Naruto!"

The voice caused Naruto's head to turn towards the source, which happened to be the white haired academy instructor, Mizuki, who had called Naruto to the secluded training area.

"Mizuki-sensei!" Naruto hollered, in happiness. "I stole the scroll, just like you asked! I even learned a really cool jutsu..."

Naruto had broken off, noticing something... different about the kind man. For one, his mouth was pressed into a tight scowl, and his eyes were cold and calculating.

"Mizuki-sensei?"

The man looked down at Naruto, his scowl turning into a smirk.

"Good job, Naruto-_kun,_" he spewed. "I'm glad to see you naively did just what I asked of you."

Naruto blinked, owlishly. "I... don't understand."

Mizuki rolled his eyes. "Of course you don't, you're an idiot... So easy to manipulate. I guess I sort of feel sorry for you, but in the end, it doesn't really matter."

Naruto gulped, a feeling of trepidation coming over him.

"Still don't understand, you idiot?" Mizuki asked, mockingly. "I tricked you. The scroll in your hand is actually called the _Scroll of Seals_. And to take it without express permission of the Hokage himself is worthy of the death penalty."

Naruto finally caught on.

"So, you-"

"That's right. I've set you up to take the fall. I'll take the scroll, and kill you. You'll die with everyone thinking you've hidden the scroll somewhere, and I'll be halfway to wind country while chaos spreads throughout the village, trying to find it."

Naruto snarled, his eyes flashing red for a second.

"Yes... let you're rage drive you. Just like the demon you are!"

Naruto paused. "Demon?"

"Oops, how careless of me! It seems I let that slip, didn't I?" Mizuki drawled, amusement clear on his battle tempered features. "You see Naruto-kun, there's a little secret here among the village. A secret that everyone knows but you."

"What, why? What's the secret?" Naruto had already created a few base assumptions from when he had hear Mizuki calling him a demon, and he needed to be sure now. He then realized. Could this finally be the answer he'd been looking for all these years? The question of why everyone hated him?

His breath came out in rasping gasps, and his chest clenched slightly.

"A law was made thirteen years ago, one that stated that you could never be told the truth... Naruto, you are the demon fox, Kyuubi!"

Something heavy dropped into his stomach at that moment. He recoiled, as if stricken, and fell to the ground. His mouth was open slightly, in horror.

His entire life passed before his eyes. The adults who always gave him a wide berth when he walked down the street, why parents warned their children to stay away from him, why as soon as he was old enough he had been left to live on his own.

And where sadness once was, resentment took hold. His eyes turned blood red, his canine teeth elongated, his fingernails sharpened into claws and the whiskers on each side of his cheek became more pronounced. With a cry of rage, Naruto charged forward, and within two seconds was within half a foots reach of Mizuki.

That night, blood rained from Mizuki's throat, and instead of Naruto becoming a genin of Konoha, he became a wanted criminal (not missing nin, as he was never a registered ninja).

When Naruto stopped seeing red, Mizuki was already dead, and he was already covered in the blood of his enemy.

Despite his lack of intelligence, Naruto knew enough to know when to run. So, grabbing the Scroll of Seals, he charged forward, in a direction he desperately hoped was far away from his home. Far away from Konoha. Tears leaked down his face as he ran. He would never look back.

* * *

**Hokage's Office**

**9:12 PM**

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned into his crystal ball. He had only witnessed Naruto's brutal murder of Mizuki, nothing before that.

Hiruzen motioned for anbu captain, Cat, to come out from her hiding place.

"Apparently, Naruto Uzumaki truly has been corrupted by the Nine Tailed Demon Fox. Gather Kakashi Hatake, along with Tsume Inuzuka and Hiashi Hyuuga, and pick up on his trail from training ground twenty-eight. This is a mission of SS-Class rank. View Naruto Uzumaki as extremely dangerous."

"Hai," Cat said, with a respectful bow, before disappearing into the shadows.

Hiruzen sighed, breathing in the fumes from his pipe. "Naruto, what have you done?"

And once again, Naruto cried for a youth who had gone down a dark road. Someone who could have become great. He would get his tears out now, before he took on a serious front, so as to keep his soldiers from seeing weakness in their Hokage.

Kami, he was calling them his soldiers now. In his head, he berated himself for sounding just like Danzo.

"What have we turned you into, Naruto?"

Hiruzen sighed, before drifting off to sleep. Sadly, his burdened heart could take no more, and that night, in his sleep, he passed on, never knowing that Naruto Uzumaki was actually innocent.

**Author's Note**

**Hello, my name is Infinity King. You likely do not know me. That is because this is my first fanfiction. Hopefully this first story is to your liking. I've had the idea running around in my head for a while, after reading the graphic novel "JLA: The Nail". Wasn't the best comic I've ever read, but it gave me the idea for this story. The basis being - "What would the canon story be like without Naruto there?" This creates a domino effect, changing everything that Naruto might have caused. Naruto will of course be changing different elements of the story while he is away, and will change things in different places. The story will be following the events of both Konoha, and the life of Naruto. **

**Anyway, the next two chapters have been outlined, but not yet written. I'll be posting the next one up sooner, rather than later. Any advice and or criticisms welcome – I've posted this story in the hopes of getting better at my writing, so such things will be taken seriously. Any errors you find, please tell me. Sometimes I'm not thorough enough.**

**Once again, thank you for reading, see you next chapter.**


	2. Who is the Demon?

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

* * *

_Chapter 2_

_Who is the Demon?_

_Now here is a riddle to guess if you can_

_Sing the bells of Notre Dame_

_Who is the monster and who is the man?_

_Clopin, Hunchback of Notre Dame_

* * *

**Night of Kyuubi's Sealing**

**Within the Seal**

When it awoke, all it could see was darkness. All it could feel was dampness. Then more feelings entered the demon Kurama, the Nine Tailed Fox.

That's right, it had a name. And it was a he. He was the Nine Tailed Demon Fox!

He could work from there. Where was he? That was a difficult question to place. How was he to know where he was?

Kurama tried to think back. What was the last thing he was doing? He remembered being trapped within a woman – Kushina Uzumaki. Nothing else though.

Ah yes, he had escaped! And then, he had been controlled by those damned Sharingan eyes. Could it have possibly been the same person as last time, Madara Uchiha? No, the aura had felt... different. Similar, but at the same time dissimilar.

He had been placed under a genjutsu by the Sharingan, and then... could it be possible? Could he be... dead?

No. He wasn't dead. Death for him would mean nonexistence. Not darkness. So where was he. His eyes finally adjusting to the darkness, Kurama was able to make something out.

A cage... a piece of paper with markings on it... Oh of course. He was back where he started. Focusing his chakra outwards, Kyuubi noticed something, however. He was no longer in an adult host. He was in a baby.

At that moment he began to scream in pure anger.

"**How dare you mortal weaklings seal me into a newly born babe! I am Kurama, the Nine Tailed Fox! I can create tsunamis and crush mountains, just with my tails! Is it too much to ask for some damned respect?"**

Apparently, it was. After grumbling over the unfairness of it all for a few more minutes, Kurama sighed. Well, time to try and find something to pass the time until his host died.

**13 Years Later**

Kurama sighed in boredom as he finished counting to one hundred thousand again. Which had been all he had really been doing over the past thirteen years. He wished that something interesting would happen, sooner rather than later.

Suddenly, Kurama felt something... weird. It almost felt as if his chakra was being pulled through a large suction tube. What the heck? Was that supposed to happen? Probably.

Sighing, Kurama wished he knew what was going on. Suddenly, he felt his vision shifting, and he was able to make out a silver haired man above him. Just as swift as his vision had originally shifted, his vision shifted back.

Okay, what the hell? What could possibly be going on now.

Kurama blinked, realizing what he had just seen had been through the eyes of his container. But, how had it happened? And where had the weird sucking on his chakra gone?

Chalking it up to a random occurrence, Kurama simply went back to counting. Sigh. He kind of wished it would happen again. It was the first thing that had actually happened over the past thirteen years. Out of nowhere, however, the suction started again. This time, however, it was much stronger. His vision shifted again. As did his hearing and sense of smell.

Once again he saw the silver haired man, but this time he was closer- actually he was getting closer. Oh, he was moving. Wait, why couldn't he control his body? Oh wait, he was seeing things through the eyes of his container again. Suddenly, he landed right next to the man, arms outstretched, and claws ripping through the silver haired mans throat.

As soon as Kurama smelled blood, however, coherency went out the window. Laughter ripped from his throat. It didn't matter what was going on, he decided, while blood splattered onto him. He was at home.

And then he was back in his cell again. He groaned in desperation. No! He wanted to go back!

And he was watching through his containers eyes again.

Wait, all he had to do was will himself to watch through the eyes of his host? He had literally just spent the last thirteen years in boredom because of his lack of experimentation?

…

With a mental start, Kurama realized that he was running. Or his container was anyway. But why? Whatever the reason was, it was obviously important to cover as much distance as possible, as fast as possible, judging from the large amount of desperation seeping from the jinchuuriki. Kurama could help with that.

Slowly, he pushed his chakra outwards, specifically downwards. Immediately, he was moving at four times the original speed. While his job done, Kurama decided to take a look around. He didn't remember much about his last two times being sealed, probably because his containers had kept him knocked out for most of the time. So, where to start?

Kurama spread his chakra more, searching through the maze that was the seal. Finally, he found what he was looking for, memories.

Kurama quickly shifted through the useless memories, and latched on the ones that held higher meaning to his host.

Within fifteen minutes he had the basic information down. His name was Naruto Uzumaki, and as expected, was a citizen of Konoha. He was hated by the general populace, loved ramen, and tried to get attention through immature pranks. He was, among other things, a hard-headed idiot. Kurama liked him already. Well, about as much as you could expect him to like a human.

**Outside the Seal**

**10:34 PM**

Naruto's eyes widened slightly when the landscape around him began to gradually shift, only a little more than an hour after he began to run. Sure, he had been moving pretty fast, but from what he knew of geography (and that wasn't very much) he was already entering the Land of Rivers, which was at least twenty or so miles away from his start point!

Naruto finally decided to slow down, realizing now would be the best time to take a break, maybe process what had happened to him over the past few hours. He wanted a break, but that didn't mean he wanted to stay out in the open. His eyes fell upon a small cave, opening into a rocky cliff. It didn't have a big opening, but he might be able to fit through.

He was right. It seems being so short and thin had paid off. Once he pulled his head through, he was surprised to find that the cave seemed to be a large hollowed out area. His eyes widening, Naruto looked around the cave, with the small amount of light the entrance was providing. Taking a deep breath, Naruto moved onward into the cave. Outwardly he was solemn, but on the inside he was raving about what Mizuki had told him, what he himself had done.

His hands were stained with blood, and so was his soul.

**Konoha – The Hokage's Tower**

**10:36 PM**

Swiftly, and with purpose, the Konoha Council members – Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, walked into the Hokage's Office.

Homura, Hiruzen's best friend in another life time, had grayed hair, and a weathered face. He wore green glasses, along with a heavy white coat, over a pale shirt.

Koharu, a loud mouthed woman that knew what she wanted, and would do anything to get what she wanted, had an extremely wrinkled face, and a pinched expression.

At the moment, they were extremely angry. And justifiably so, really. Not only had the Kyuubi Jinchuriki, whom they had told Hiruzen would eventually turn on them because of his treatment, made of with the Scroll of Seals, but they had also been woken early in the night (they were extremely old, and went to bed at around seven or so, after all), to be told this.

Now, while most believed them to be whiny old farts, who likely spent day in and day out complaining to the Hokage about this and that, they had been trained in war time, and as such were generally down to earth, and business like.

So when they walked in, they were unsurprised to see Hiruzen's chair turned around, so that is was facing the window (the same one that Danzo was always complaining about, saying that any assassin worth his salt would simply throw a kunai through it).

Now, they liked to think they knew Hiruzen, and they did, what with the whole knowing him since he was eight thing. Hiruzen staring out the window was something that happened quite often. Many a times they had walked in on him staring out of it, likely reflecting on the past, or thinking about any problems Konoha were facing at the time.

They were slightly worried, however. Usually Hiruzen was extremely attentive. Someone walking into his office usually resulted in him snapping to attention. And he wasn't snapping to attention.

Koharu cleared her throat. When Hiruzen still didn't respond, she coughed.

Okay, now they were seriously worried.

"...Hiruzen?" Homura asked, tentatively.

Still no response.

Koharu walked forward, and turned the chair around from the other side of the desk, revealing an unmoving Sandaime Hokage.

Koharu gasped, and instantly flew to the other side of the desk, her fingers moving to his neck, checking for a pulse. Her hand dropped, when she felt nothing.

"He's dead," she said, glancing towards Homura.

Homura sucked in a deep breath, making a rasping noise. He moved over to a well placed couch, and collapsed into it, clutching his heart.

The two remained silent in an awkward silence for the next few moments, possibly thinking about their old friend, but as soon as those moments ended, they were back in business.

Instantly Homura was on his feet. "I'll alert Danzo, and gather a team of medics to analyze the body."

Koharu nodded, and said "I'll tell the clan heads, and send a message to the Damaiyo. A new Hokage will have to be chosen, as well."

Homura sighed. "Might as well recall all troops as well, Konoha will need an iron defense right now."

Koharu laughed humorlessly. "Brings you back, doesn't it?"

The two stepped out of the office, leaving the unseeing Hiruzen Sarutobi, Sandaime Hokage of Konoha, alone in his office.

**Land of Rivers**

**12:45 AM**

Naruto sighed as he leaned back on the uncomfortable bed. After exploring for a bit, he had figured out that the cave he had found was actually an abandoned tunnel system, likely built by Tanigakure during the Third Shinobi World War (seeing as it was in a reasonably well kept shape). He had several clones setting up traps throughout the tunnel, and a few others exploring further into the cave. Several others were outside the cave, looking for provisions, seeing as the tunnels weren't exactly well stocked.

Naruto growled, and bit his bottom lip, thinking over what had occurred earlier in the night. Or, technically the previous night.

So, he was a demon? Not just any demon though, the Kyuubi? The giant multiple tailed demon fox that attacked the village on... the day he was born. Oh.

Well, in a way it made sense, but how exactly had it happened? How had a huge demon been turned into a small child?

And he was pretty sure he wasn't a demon. He was usually an optimistic, if disrespectful, teenager. Sure, maybe he pulled a prank or two, but he didn't do them in a mean spirited way...

'What about Mizuki though, you seemed pretty eager to kill him, didn't you?' A small voice in the back of his head asked.

Naruto ignored the voice, and turned over on to his other side.

He would think about it in the morning.

**Land of Rivers – Outside Naruto's Recently Discovered Cave**

**1:11 AM**

Four ninja shrouded in darkness ran quickly through the lush, forest like area (with a few rocky surfaces mixed in there somewhere).

Simultaneously, they all stopped moving, and landed on close together tree branches.

"It's no use," Tsume Inuzuka, the wild haired clan head of the Inuzuka clan said. "I can't catch onto his specific scent. It's like there are several hims or something! But how could that be possible? Could he have back tracked over and over again?"

"I think it more likely that he learned a technique from the scroll which allowed him to do so. Specifically, Kage Bunshin... Which, allows the user to multiply himself, a technique I've utilized a few times in the past," Kakashi Hatake, a silver haired, laid back Jounin, said.

"Hmph, a clan-less pariah like him learning a B-Ranked Jutsu? I think not," Hiashi sniffed.

"Whatever the reason," Cat cut in. "We aren't making any progress as we are, and we likely aren't going to catch onto his scent... It's best to just head back."

"And report the mission a failure?" Hiashi growled out.

"Look up, you stuck up idiot," Tsume said, finger pointing upwards. Hiashi did so. "It's going to start raining soon, and then the trail will be lost, and we could catch hypothermia."

They could barely be made out, but indeed, there were several rain clouds in the sky.

"Fine then," Hiashi conceded.

Within a split second, they all turned around, and headed back to Konoha.

* * *

**Author's Note**

**And the plot thickens. How will Konoha react to the Sandaime's death? Will Naruto figure out if he's the Kyuubi? And who will the next Hokage be?**

**Anyway, a big thank you to those who reviewed the first chapter. On the subject of what the pairing will be – there isn't one. Or rather, there isn't one yet, anyway. In response to the three pairings mentioned, two of them are not very likely, and the third is definitely not going to happen. Ever. For Ayame x Naruto, I always imagined that as more of a sibling relationship, and for Tayuya, while I have nothing against her, I can't really see her fitting in to the story as a main character. With Kushina, the reason should be quite obvious. **

**Anyway, once again, thanks to those that reviewed. The next chapter will be up whenever. Expect it within the next two weeks. **


	3. Rest in Peace

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

* * *

_Chapter 3_

_Rest in Peace_

"_What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal." _

_ Albert Pike_

* * *

**Konoha**

**4:15 PM**

It was Konoha tradition that the funeral of the Hokage be held the week after his death, with all of the active village ninja currently in Konoha attending. It was not mandatory for civilians to come, but most did anyway.

Only one time had an exception been made for the tradition, and that had been for the Nidaime Hokage, who died during the Second Shinobi World War. Instead of the usual one week waiting period, and a large procession, Tobirama Senju had been given a small funeral, with only those close to him invited.

The reasoning behind this being that – 1) Any shinobi still within Konoha were either injured, on sick leave or patrolling the walls. And – 2) Such a large gathering of people was seen as a dangerous idea, as if an enemy village struck, a large percentage of Konoha's population could easily be wiped out in moments, especially in the case of the civilians, who would be caught in the crossfire.

So following tradition, the Sandaime had been buried exactly seven days after his death, directly next to his wife, Biwako. There were no speeches, nor gatherings of close friends and family to talk about all the good times shared with the Sandaime. There was only silence.

Danzo Shimura sighed, watching as his childhood friend was buried. Not many people would like to admit it, but Danzo was probably the person who knew Hiruzen Sarutobi best, at least next to his wife anyway.

Danzo had been in the Sandaime's life since they were quite literally, babies. Their mothers had been best friends, so they grew up together, practically as brothers.

Over time, however, things changed. When they entered the Ninja Academy, while Danzo _was _viewed as extremely promising, but Hiruzen was seen as a prodigy. Adored by his teachers and classmates, Hiruzen developed into a strong and brave shinobi, while Danzo stayed in the shadows, taking a liking to the less flashy abilities of ninja. Yes, Danzo may not have been a genius like Hiruzen, but by the time he was twelve, he was an infiltration specialist, and extremely crafty.

Hiruzen ended up on a team with Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane with Tobirama Senju as a sensei, while Danzo ended up being placed into a special covert training program, for specialists like himself. They followed a similar career path. By fourteen, both were Chunin, and both had taken major roles in what was being called the Second Great Shinobi War.

But while Hiruzen took to the front lines, Danzo was hidden amongst the enemy, gathering information from nearly every village in the Elemental Nations. Hiruzen was seen as a hero by the village, Danzo was viewed as a godsend by the newly appointed Nidaime Hokage, Hiruzen's very own sensei, Tobirama Senju.

During all this, Danzo and Hiruzen had stayed in contact as best they could, but social interaction was sparse during war-time. Hiruzen was different, though. Where as before he was quick to boast, he had gotten a bit of a swollen head. His arrogance got so bad, that Danzo couldn't help but absolutely despise him, and see him as a rival.

They met in the Jounin Exams, which was an in village affair during the war, with only proctors to watch. They fought in a spectacular battle, but when it came down to it, Hiruzen was just stronger then him. After the fight, despite both being made Jonin, Danzo finally snapped, and screamed at Hiruzen, calling him every horrible thing possible, and declaring his ever lasting hatred for the arrogant ass.

Afterward, they refused to speak to each other again, and while they could have eventually made up, their pride kept them from doing so.

Hiruzen became a sensei after that, training three top prospect genin, Orochimaru, Jiraiya and Tsunade, who would eventually become known as the legendary Sannin.

Danzo was eventually pulled from covert operations to join the front lines, as the need for soldiers had increased with the war reaching its climax. Danzo had been placed on a squad with Chunins Kagami Uchiha and Torifu Akimichi.

While on the front lines, Danzo gained a startling reputation for his swiftness and brutality in battle, easily dispatching enemies with no wasted movements. Hiruzen however, gained a reputation for his kindness, and his willingness to show mercy to the enemy.

The war began to reach its climax. The Nidaime Hokage died, sacrificing himself for his team, and declaring Hiruzen his successor. The war continued on for a few months more, but eventually peace was brought about, thanks mostly to Hiruzen (who's head size had gone back to normal).

As time went on, Danzo gained serious political clout, and was able to begin a small anbu branch, by the name of Root, which dealt with dirtier missions then regular anbu.

Hiruzen discovered a little secret about Root, though – the entire branch was made up of children and teens tampered to be perfect weapons, emotionless tools to be used as Danzo saw fit. Hiruzen was understandably furious, and ordered the immediate disbanding of Root. Of course, the paperwork detailing what was to be done with those trained in the Root program was lost, and Danzo continued operations behind Hiruzen's back.

It was then that the Third Great Shinobi War began. It started at random, just a small skirmish over trade routes between Iwakagure and Amegakure (a relatively unknown village to the south of Iwa). It grew quickly though. The shaky peace that had held since the Second Great Shinobi War had broken, and it seemed every village in the entire nation wanted some of the action.

The war was seen as an opportunity for smaller villages to gain wealth and a higher standing, including a small mining town situated the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind, which became known as Ishigakure. Apparently, a missing ninja from Sunagakure had decided to make the town his base, and had taken it over, and turning it into a ninja village.

Minato Namikaze also became renown during the war for his prowess on the battlefield, along with several other shinobi, such as Kushina Uzumaki, a prodigy sent from the then still standing Uzushiogakure.

Hiruzen was endeared to the boy, especially because of the fact that he was trained by Jiraiya, who in recent years had become a master of Senjutsu, or sage techniques.

Casualties became common place. Death was ripe on the battlefield. Where during the last two wars there was at least a small sense of honor, during the Third Great Shinobi War, it was just meaningless slaughter. Iwagakure would place the heads of their enemies up on a pike, and dance them around, as a celebration for victorious battle.

Kirigakure was well known for taking female prisoners, and even Konohagakure began treating their enemies badly, running weekly public executions, killing war prisoners in violent, bloody ways, while they were spat on and screamed at by the crowd.

Tsunade of the Sanin went wayward after the deaths of her brother, Nawaki, and her fiance, Dan. She ran from the village in grief, vowing never to return. Luckily, the war was winding down at that point, and it did not actually cause any harm to Konoha.

Hiruzen decided to retire then, tired of the constant blood shed. The war hero, Minato Namikaze, was selected by the council to take his place.

Several years later, Danzo discovered Orochimaru of the Sannin's dirty little secret. For several months he had been kidnapping small children, usually from various villages on the outskirts of the Land of Fire, and using them in horrendous experiments. Experiments that Danzo wanted a part of. Danzo had Root infiltrate Orochimaru's base, stealing as much research as possible, while he himself reported his findings to the Yondaime, along with Hiruzen, who was working as Minato's advisor.

Hiruzen seemed to age ten years that night. He ambushed Orochimaru's base, intent on capturing his favorite student. It did not work out that way. Hiruzen, in his high emotion state, allowed Orochimaru to escape.

Hiruzen and Danzo actually began mending their friendship again. Hiruzen, in his grief, even started to agree with some of Danzo's ideas for Konoha.

Then the demon fox, Kyuubi, attacked. The Yondaime died, along with hundreds of other shinobi, and the beast was sealed within a small child. Hiruzen took up the mantle of Hokage again, causing Danzo to believe that Hiruzen would use his ideas for the village – specifically removing all civilians from any sort of power.

It did not work out that way. It would have – if not for one little detail. They didn't agree on what to do with Naruto Uzumaki.

Hiruzen believed Naruto should grow up as a normal child, wishing for him to gain ties to the village.

Danzo had thought that was not only extremely stupid, but also extremely irresponsible. From his point of view, it was impossible for Naruto to live a normal life, seeing as most of the village had developed a slight resentment towards Naruto.

For most, it wasn't that they thought he was the Kyuubi. Actually, only about four percent of the population thought that, and that group was made up of ignorant civilians and extremely stupid shinobi.

The reason for their hatred was that they couldn't ignore the fact that he held the Kyuubi. Whenever anybody looked at him, they were only reminded of those lost in the Kyuubi attack. Because of this, he was at first avoided, and that grew to fear, which in turn grew to hatred.

So, in Danzo's eyes, Naruto was basically screwed anyway. In his opinion, the blonde should be trained from early developmental years, utilizing his abilities as a Jinchuriki, and making sure he stayed loyal to Konoha through subliminal messages placed in his head by the Yamanaka.

It was a perfect plan, except for the fact that Hiruzen thought it was inhumane. Danzo's reply of Naruto not being human, but instead a tool, hadn't seemed to help matters either.

The Uchiha Massacre had been another turning point in their relationship. Hiruzen had been furious that Danzo had gone behind his back in the matter, and had him vigorously interrogated by Ibiki, trying to discover if he had turned traitor. It was an exercise in futility. They both knew he was completely loyal.

Well, except for the fact that he stole the eyes of all the massacred Uchiha, and had them implanted in his body, but he had placed seals on his body to make sure he couldn't reveal his secrets under duress. Even if he cracked, he needed only to activate the seals and his memories would instantly be locked away for the next twelve hours.

From then on, they only spoke to each other when forced to, and that did not happen very often.

Danzo felt a twinge of regret, but it dissipated quickly. Childhood friend or not, Hiruzen had been his political enemy. His death, while regretful, would eventually lead to Konoha prospering.

Danzo sighed once more, before turning around. There was planning to be done.

_'Farewell, old friend.'_

* * *

**Three Days Later**

**Unknown Location**

The Konoha council met twice a year, not including emergency situations. They were held in a location secret to even the members of the Council. In fact, the only people who knew where it was were the Hokage (who didn't really count anymore, due to his death), his personal advisors and the Anbu Commanders.

One was always brought there via summoning scroll. Once there, all chakra points were blocked, assumably by a Hyuuga, and weapons were confiscated. All members took seats on a round table, with their hands laid flat in front of them, to assure no foul play.

The council itself was made up of five important shinobi, Hiashi Hyuuga, Shibi Aburame, Shikaku Nara, Danzo Shimura and the Anbu Commander, along with the Hokage and his or her advisers. All important shinobi clan heads were there as well, though they were made to stay at the side, and only to observe, and vote, when necessary.

The only thing different about this meeting was that the Damaiyo was present, taking the place of the Hokage for the time being.

The meetings were generally moderated by Shibi Aburame, due to his neutral and logical views.

"I nominate Jiraiya of the Sanin," Koharu Utatane said calmly.

So it began.

"Seconded," Homura Mitokado agreed.

"While a good idea on paper, it will likely not work out in practice. Jiraiya is extremely opposed to taking the job, and it is doubtful he will ever change his mind," Shikaku Nara replied smoothly.

"What about Tsunade, then?" The Anbu Commander asked.

"She harbors a severe hatred for both the position and the village. Along with that, we have no idea where to find her," Hiashi said in response.

"We could attempt to track her down," the Anbu Commander said swiftly.

"Still, the previous statement still stands. She would never agree," Hiashi replied, pushing a lock of hair out from in front of his face.

"I nominate Danzo Shimura," the Damaiyo said, narrowing his eyes.

The statement was met with mixed reactions. The advisers seemed agreeable enough, along with the Anbu Commander and of course Danzo himself. The rest however, were skeptical.

"While Danzo would undoubtedly be a good Hokage, it would be disrespectful to the Sandaime, seeing as Danzo never really got along with him. Along with that, should we really be thinking about another old Hokage?" Shikaku pointed out.

The rest, aside from Danzo, had to agree with that. They didn't need another Hokage having a heart failure.

"Shibi, you have remained quiet this whole time, what is your opinion?" Homura asked.

Shibi's back straitened slightly, a sign that he was about to say something surprising.

"I nominate Hiashi Hyuuga."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**What a twist! **

**Anyway, for those who are picky about such things, yes, I did slightly tweak history a bit for my purposes. I felt it was slightly necessary to depict Danzo's relationship with Hiruzen, and to expand upon the Third Great Shinobi War, which Kishimoto never goes into much detail about. In my eyes, anyway.**

**Now, don't get me wrong, I don't really like Danzo. But I don't dislike him. In the end, he's just a misguided old man, doing what he thinks is best for his village. I can't fault him for that. Other people, however, tend to do that a lot... I'm not saying Danzo's views or ways are right, but I feel some sympathy for the guy. He gets a lot of hate in the fandom. But I suppose that happens to all characters at some point.**

**Actually, now that I think about it, I've never read a Naruto bashing fanfiction. **

**It sounds pretty ironic to me.**

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter, and thanks to those who reviewed the last one. The next will be up within the next two weeks, and all that.**

**Until then, see ya.**


	4. Never Ending

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

* * *

_Chapter 4_

_Never Ending_

"_The condition of man... is a condition of war of everyone against everyone."_

_ Thomas Hobbes_

* * *

**Land of Rivers**

**12:44 PM**

Naruto was a very hyperactive, and happy-go-lucky child. Therefore, him being silent, and generally serious, was something that rarely occurred.

Well, except for when he was walking along a river in, coincidentally, the Land of Rivers, pondering the fact that he was apparently the Kyuubi. He had left the tunnel system three days earlier, having decided that while it was nice staying somewhere, the entire tunnel could collapse at any time, and he really did not want to be there when it happened.

Without the distractions of gathering food and scavenging through the remnants of the old tunnel system though, he was having a lot of trouble keeping his mind away from the life changing piece of knowledge he had learned the night of him leaving the village.

It explained a lot really. The cold shoulder he received from the villagers especially. When he thought about it, his fellow students at the Shinobi Academy had probably all been aware of the fact as well. After all, what reason had they had to dislike him from the start? Sure, he was annoying sometimes... Well, most of the time, actually. But still, that didn't warrant dislike before even speaking to him.

It was heartbreaking. The thought that people he sat beside every day (he wasn't skipping, that is), had seen him as nothing but a monster.

Everyone had known that he was a demon, everyone had hated him for it, and no one had told him. It was as if the entire universe was playing a joke on him, pulling the greatest prank in history.

Had the Sandaime ever even cared for him? Had the man smiled to his face, and said kind words to him, while secretly hating him?

The villagers hadn't shown him hatred to his face, they had just ignored him. His classmates disliked him, but didn't tell him why. The Sandaime likely pretended to like him, but secretly hated him. The same could be said for Iruka and even Teuchi and Ayame, who had always treated him with kindness, though never as family.

Thinking about it, there was only two people (in his mind) who were actually up front with him about things.

Mizuki was one. Sure, he had treated Naruto with kindness throughout his time at the academy, but his true face came out eventually. In his last moments, Naruto new Mizuki better than anyone else, most likely.

Sasuke Uchiha was the second. Sasuke disliked pretty much everyone, and therefore disliked Naruto. He didn't dislike Naruto because he was a demon, he disliked Naruto because he was a prick (Sasuke was a prick, that is).

After finally sorting through that, Naruto's thoughts moved to a different matter – if he was the Kyuubi, then how had he become Naruto? Was Naruto the Kyuubi, or was the Kyuubi Naruto?

Was he really a monster?

* * *

**Hokage's Office**

**The Next Day**

**3:20 PM**

The thing about new Hokage's, is that their first day in office tends to be extremely... awkward. That usually tends to be because the new Hokage's predecessor almost always died before retirement. The only exception to this was when the Yondaime became Hokage, as the Sandaime had actually retired. The Sandaime had to go through the situation twice – once when taking the place of his sensei, and the other taking the place of the Yondaime.

Hiashi however, seemed unable to notice this. He was too elated to notice the uneasiness in the eyes of all the Konoha Shinobi who had entered his office, non-Hyuuga ones, of course. The Hyuuga elders had practically jumped for joy upon finding out that he was to be named the next Hokage. In fact, it was a dream come true.

The Hyuuga had been trying to gain further power for years, and with Hiashi in control, that was realized.

Already a shift in power had occurred already, with Ryu Hyuuga, a Hyuuga elder and his father, had been given the position of his adviser. Homura and Koharu had been allowed to stay on the council out of respect for the Sandaime, but they had been stripped of all public power.

The new genin had finally been assigned to their teams, with five teams passing this time, Teams Seven, Eight, Ten, Eighteen and Twenty One.

Only one jonin-sensei had taken on an apprentice, though that was the usual for genin graduation.

Sighing, Hiashi stood up, making his way to the doors. As was customary for the Hokage, he would spend several hours in the mission room each day for the next two weeks after the second genin tests, so as to allow the green genin to get accustomed to him as a leader.

Of course this meant he would end up having contact with his daughter, Hinata, which happened very rarely. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time he had had a conversation with her that lasted more than a few minutes.

Not like it mattered – she was a weakling.

* * *

**Land of Rivers**

**7:58 PM**

Temari rolled her eyes as her brother, Kankuro, went green in the face at the sight of the torrent of blood raining down upon the area.

He always had been extremely queasy. He had been able to convince their father that it wasn't necessary for him to attend conditioning when he had been training to become a shinobi, and now that they were on a team with Gaara, it was coming back to bite him on the ass.

Of course, she even found some of Gaara's murders disgusting – but she didn't get queasy over it. Unlike Kankuro she understood that murder was a part of life, and that, as ninja, they would have run across brutality eventually, even if they hadn't been placed on a team with their brother.

If anything, Gaara probably prepared them better than any conditioning class for the world of shinobi. It was almost worth the fear of him finally snapping and killing them.

Either way, the mission was done. They had both tracked down and killed the missing nin, so they could return home with another good mark on their shinobi record.

"Come on, let's go," Temari said calmly.

It was already dark out, so they would probably have to set up camp. While sleeping in the vicinity of the tireless Gaara was extremely dangerous, she knew she had a good chance of surviving if Gaara snapped. He hated Kankuro more, so he would attack him first, giving her a chance to wake up and escape.

She turned around, beginning to walk away, with Kankuro joining her quickly. They both paused when they noticed that Gaara wasn't following.

Temari turned to face her insane brother, who she noticed was staring off into the distance. "...Gaara?"

He didn't answer. It was then she noticed what exactly he was looking at. Off in the distance, a plume of smoke was wafting up into the air, barely visible unless one was paying attention. Which Gaara apparently was.

Temari wasn't worried. It obviously wasn't a shinobi – only the most incompetent of ninja would light a fire at night. It was most likely a band of merchants setting up camp for the night.

Temari turned to tell Gaara her conclusion, only to realize he was already walking in the direction of the smoke. Ah, crap.

* * *

**Land of Rivers**

**8:00 PM**

Naruto sighed in satisfaction, running his tongue through his mouth, hoping to get what was left of the fish from his teeth. He had spent the entire day walking, with only a few rest stops, so he was understandably getting ready for some sleep.

He hadn't hesitated to light a fire. He'd skipped most stealth classes in the academy, so he wasn't that smart when it came to being subtle. That would come back to bite him in the ass.

"Who... are... you?"

Naruto's head snapped up, and he looked around quickly, his eyes drawn to his left. There he met eyes with a red haired boy dressed up in a sand shinobi styled attire, with a large gourd on his back. The boy had black eye liner, and a symbol meaning 'love' on his forehead.

Naruto slowly stood up, biting his lip slightly, and reaching for a kunai – before remembering he didn't have any on his immediate person. All of the weapons he had been able to gather from the tunnel were in his backpack, and that was a few yards away.

"Why does mother... want your blood?" The boy reached his hand up, and held it to his head.

Alright, the guy was probably crazy. So Naruto decided to do what he did best – piss people off.

"Oi, you!" The red haired shinobi stared ahead, mumbling to himself silently, seemingly having not noticed Naruto's shout. "Yeah, you! What do you want? If you didn't notice, I was just winding down after a long day of walking, and I really don't want to deal with you."

Gaara still ignored him, continuing to talk to himself.

Naruto instantly got angry. He walked forward, so that he was directly in front of the obviously disturbed boy. "Hey, did you here me, asshole?"

Suddenly he felt a force hit his side, sending him flying several meters, and crashing into a tree.

"Mother... wants... your... BLOOD!"

Naruto blinked, trying to comprehend the fuzzy world around him. He felt the back of his head, where a huge amount of pain originated from. He felt something wet on his hand. The world slowly started to clear up, but it was still largely out of focus.

He was still coherent enough to see a large wave of sand coming his way. Quickly, Naruto used a replacement technique, and switched with the closest object to him – his backpack. Naruto winced, watching with slight horror as the backpack and all its contents – including the Scroll of Seals – was crushed by the wall of sand.

Just as soon as it struck, the sand drew back, circling around its point of origin, the red haired boy.

Naruto clutched his head, finally realizing that he had slammed it against the tree. Guess all those accusations of him having a hard head were completely unfounded.

The mysterious ninja lifted his hand, sending another wave of sand at Naruto, who dove out of the way, only to be caught by the ankle, and tossed into the air, like a rag doll.

Naruto growled, forming his fingers into a cross pattern. "_Kage Bunshing no Jutsu!_" Naruto exclaimed, a legion of clones forming around him.

The boy looked slightly surprised for a moment, but returned to his stoic expression quickly, his eyes narrowing.

A wall of sand suddenly crashed through a large group of clones, while Naruto himself used his clones as a springboard, directing his fall to his opponent.

He was stopped short however, when a large clump of sand formed directly below him. The boy had a psychotic smirk on his face at that point, the sand snaking up Naruto's body dreadfully slow. Naruto felt his breathing increase in speed, as a human sized cocoon formed around him. He barely had a chance to yell out before he was completely covered.

The last thing Naruto saw before darkness overtook him was the red haired boy mouthing a small string of words.

"_Make me feel alive."_

The sand started to contract, squeezing upon his frame. He felt a strong sense of claustrophobia as the cocoon grew narrower and narrower. And then he gained the feeling again. It was just like the night of the Scroll of Seals incident- a fire had been lit inside of him, and he felt power course through his veins.

His canines grew, protruding from his moth, while his whisker marks became more distinct, and his hair wilder. His nails sharpened, his eyes turned red, and a crimson aura formed around him.

A tail of pure chakra formed beind him, ripping through the surrounding sand.

Inside of Naruto's seal, a demon watched these events with amusement, and a soulless smile appeared upon it's face.

"**Now my container... rip, tear, kill! Satisfy your rage!"**

* * *

**Author's Note**

**Ahem. Sorry I'm a bit late on uploading this. I decided to change the direction I was taking this story, so this chapter is actually the second version of it I've written. Anyway, this marks the beginning of the first described fight scene. As you probably noticed, Naruto accessing the Kyuubi's chakra is going to become a running theme throughout the story. **

**As usual, thank you to all who reviewed! I hope you continue to review, and enjoy the story! **

**In other news, I've been keeping up with recent chapters of Naruto, obviously, and I have to say, I am really enjoying (spoilers) Obito's back-story. I have yet to read Chapter 607, though I am sure I'll love the first meeting between Obito and Nagato, which is where Kishimoto left off at in Chapter 606, if I remember correctly.**

**Anyway, good bye. Next chapter should be up within two weeks, as per usual.**


	5. Two Demons Collide

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

* * *

_Chapter 5_

_Two Demons Collide_

"_Isn't it funny. I'm enjoying my hatred so much more than I ever enjoyed love. Love is temperamental. Tiring. It makes demands. Love uses you, changes its mind. But hatred, now, that's something you can use. Sculpt. Wield. It's hard, or soft, however you need it. Love humiliates you, but Hatred cradles you._

_ Janet Fitch, White Oleander_

* * *

**Land of Rivers**

**8:09 PM**

Temari growled, pulling Kankuro along. The makeup clad shinobi was cowering in fear, due to the large amount of killing intent wafting from the area Gaara had run off to.

Why did this always happen to her? It seemed like every mission there was something. Gaara goes on a rampage, Gaara slaughters several school children, Gaara decided to try and kill Kankuro and her, but changes his mind, Kankuro pisses himself...

And of course, the running gag 'Gaara runs off with the intent to murder someone'.

Shea had to wonder, however, what had gotten Gaara so excited. Usually he permeated a little bit of killing intent, sure, but the amount he was currently releasing was insane!

It would probably be smart to run away, in hopes of escaping Gaara's wrath, but she had never been the type to cower from danger.

Kankuro, however...

* * *

**Land of Rivers**

**With Naruto and Gaara**

**8:09 PM**

Gaara watched with a crazed look upon his face, while his sand blew apart, and the figure inside fell to the ground.

A red aura had completely surrounded around his opponent, and a tail of pure crimson chakra had formed behind him.

The two demonic figures faced each other, neither thinking coherently. Gaara slowly lifted his hand, while Naruto shifted into a fighting stance, his claws at the ready.

Suddenly, a large ball formed out of Gaara's sand, and flew toward the orange clad Jinchuuriki, prompting him to dodge to the side, moving noticeably faster than usual.

Naruto charged forward, easily avoiding the multitude of sand spikes forming around him. He beared his teeth, dragging his claws across the ground, and shoving them forward, slashing at Gaara. His attack was blocked by a wall of sand, which a hand humongous hand protruded from, grabbing a hold of Naruto by the head, and pushing him forward.

A burst of chakra broke out from Naruto, destroying the hand instantly, though not stopping Naruto from moving through the air. Naruto crashed into a tree, and bounced off of it, into a sand spike, which shot through his arm.

Naruto roared, as another tail of chakra formed behind him, increasing the demon chakra permeating from him, and causing the spike of sand to explode in multiple directions.

Steam rose from the newly gained wound in his arm, as it quickly healed, leaving only the blood stains and ripped clothing as a sign of the injury ever occurring.

Naruto faced his opponent, his tails waving behind him. Their eyes met. For a second, they didn't see each other, but instead saw the Kyuubi and the Shukaku.

That second passed, however, and Naruto charged forward, once again. A shock-wave of pure demon energy formed as the two adversaries clashed, sending a few trees toppling over.

* * *

**Land of Rivers**

**With Temari and Kankuro**

**8:16 PM**

Temari gasped as Kankuro and her were blasted backwards by a wave of sheer, absolute demon chakra. She was slammed into a small mound protruding from the ground, while Kankuro hit his head against a tree branch, knocking him out.

Temari moved to get up, but collapsed into the ground as pain shot up her leg, from her ankle.

She bit into her lip, tearing through, and causing a droplet of blood to flow from it. She heard a small ruffle, and glanced up, meeting the eyes of a small crow perched upon a thin branch.

They gazed into each others eyes for just a moment, but Temari felt a sense of dread permeating from the crows beady eyes.

Suddenly, the bird let out a caw, followed quickly by two more. They echoed through the surrounding area, before leaving a stiff silence. An impending sense of doom dropped into Temari's stomach, and she watched quietly as the crow flew away.

* * *

**Land of Rivers**

**With Naruto and Gaara**

**8:16 PM**

Naruto ripped through a dome of sand which had formed around his foe, and tackled Gaara's body. Naruto's hand shot forward, and grabbed the red haired beast by the neck, only to be tore from Gaara by a whip of sand.

The sand formed around Gaara, and the teen screamed as the sand surrounded him. The sand formed into a large mass, reaching high above the trees. Gaara popped out at the top, his eyes as cold as ever.

"Tanuki Neiri no Jutsu," Gaara whispered, his hands coming together in a symmetrical shape.

"**Freedom at last!"**

The sand had finally taken shape, and the Shukaku was revealed. A demonic, wild laughter filled the air, as the beast shook with terrifying power.

Naruto growled, and sprinted forward on all fours, grabbing onto the Shukaku's humungous leg. He quickly began to scale it, using his claws to hold on.

The Shukaku paused, and glared down at him.

"**Kurama!"**

* * *

**Inside the Kyuubi's Seal**

**8:20 PM**

The Kyuubi, or Kurama as he was known by the other bijuu, chuckled. Slowly he pawed at the edge of his cage, sending even more chakra to his container.

He was beginning to enjoy his time within his cage. Now he needed his blood-lust sated, and what better way to do that than by the murder of the Shukaku's Jinchuuriki?

From outside the cage, the last vestige of Minato Namikaze was able to focus itself into a visible form for one short moment, frowning at what his son was going through, before disappearing, unable to hold his shape.

* * *

**Land of Rivers**

**With Naruto and the Shukaku**

**8:26 PM**

Naruto dived forward, grabbing a hold of the sand that was Shukaku's body. He had already progressed to the demon's right shoulder, and could vaguely make out the shape of his red haired adversary atop the Ichibi's head.

"**Get off!" **Shukaku screamed.

Naruto was hit by what felt like a sledge hammer, and fell. He reached out, and caught the end of Shukaku's tail, which he held onto steadfast.

Shukaku used the small amount of motor function he had in his tail to wave it up in down, causing Naruto to lose his grip and go flying into the air.

The jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi was able to lean forward, however, and direct his fall to the top of the Shukaku's head. Naruto bared his teeth, and reached forward. Shukaku realized only a second too late where Naruto was falling.

A resounding crunch was heard, as Naruto's fist smashed into the back of Gaara's skull. In all actuality, it wasn't Gaara who received an injury, but Naruto, who had broken his hand on impact.

Despite this, Gaara woke up in extreme pain, and the Shukaku began to dissolve.

"**No! Not already! I just got out!" **The Shukaku screamed as he disappeared, eventually leaving nothing behind except for the echos of his scream.

Naruto and Gaara both fell, landing in a clump on the ground.

It was quiet for a moment, until Naruto growled, and pulled himself up. Slowly, his chakra tails disappeared, but his eyes remained red, his nails long, and his appearance stayed wild.

Gaara watched in growing horror as he head several pops, as Naruto's hand healed, and the blonde haired shinobi approached.

In another world, the two shinobi met under entirely different circumstances, and managed to become good friends.

This was not that world, however.

Naruto's hand flew downwards, and grabbed Gaara's neck. Their was a sickening snap, and Gaara stared into the eyes of his killer.

As he drifted off, Gaara thought he noticed something in those eyes. It was not malice or hatred, or even anger.

In that moment, they understood each other. A single tear fell from Gaara's eyes, as the world faded to black.

Naruto stood up, and turned from the red haired teen.

* * *

**Author's Note**

**This chapter is actually shorter than the others by a large margin, but I feel it's best to end it their. Nothing more really needs to be said, and I would feel like I was dragging it on if I added to it. **

**Anyway, as always, thanks to those that reviewed. I will be responding to a few, so please bear with me.**

**dbzsotrum9 : As stated at some point in an earlier chapter, the pairing is undecided, if there is going to be one at all. At this point I'd have to say that there will be no pairing, as they won't really fit into the story I'm trying to build. Especially not the ones you mentioned though. No offense, but not only do they not appeal to me, but NarutoxKushina kind of disgusts me. **

**Guest: There were a few guests, but I'll specify it to the first one responding to Chapter 4. Yes, I have to agree that how I got rid of the Scroll of Seals was a cheap cop out. And yes, I probably could have handled it better, and would have if I were to write the chapter again – but honestly, I wanted that thing gone as fast as possible. I had known since the first chapter that I had to get rid of it somehow. I saw an opportunity to write it off mid chapter, and I took it. Why did I want to get rid of it? Because it would be irresponsible of me to allow him to keep it. Let's face it, Naruto with a scroll filled with ultra powerful, and dangerous, techniques is not likely to end up in a very good way. **

**ballinor: First off, thank you for such a large review – it was nice to receive some criticism. I will respond to your points, of course – and in order, I might add. For starters, Danzo – I have to admit, that long back story approach was actually not planned going in to the chapter – it was actually much shorter in my head. I ended up realizing that condensing it was not likely going to happen, and just rolled with it. Danzo is going to became a _very _important character as the story goes on, and I wanted to define him, and his murky and not well expanded upon past, as early as possible. It seemed like a good chance to get it out of the way.**

**Onto the Hiashi nomination. Now, going into it, I understood that the reasoning might not be understood by a lot of people, but look at it this way – Hiashi is the head of the Hyuuga, a well respected clan with a powerful blood line, known for their prowess. With Hiashi in control, the village seems much stronger, and morale among the rest of the shinobi, who no doubt will be feeling down after the death of the beloved Sandaime. Now, most of them have probably never had contact with the clan head, but they will definitely feel better knowing someone like the Hyuuga clan head is in charge. Perception is reality, and no matter how arrogant Hiashi acts, he is still the head of the Hyuuga clan – which has to mean something. A highly logical Aburame would think about the pros of him taking over, and weigh them against the cons. Besides, looking back, it wasn't just anyone that disrespected Hiashi, it was Tsume. You know, the brash, speaks her mind, head of the Inuzuka? **

**No one else has disrespected Hiashi in this story, despite Hiashi acting like a... well, like a dick. **

**You have to imagine that he's a political genius, and that he acts different on a mission than while interaction with, say, the council.**

**Would people be worried about the caged bird seal? I suppose, but then again – it isn't really common knowledge is it? I mean, it's not like they would really want the village to know their dirty little secret. The argument could be made that the council would at least know, but there is no doubt laws and restrictions against such things. Otherwise the seal wouldn't have lasted so long. **

**Naruto being street smart? I suppose – although I doubt the mean streets of Konoha are going to cause him to make him too street smart. Besides, what you described as a situation where he should be street smart, is less street smart and more ninja smart. Naruto isn't ninja smart. As for why he hadn't really looked at the Scroll of Seals... well, he sort of had other things on his mind. You know, whether he was a demon or not, just how much of his life has been a lie, etc etc. He's been known to put off his ninja education at times. The only reason he learned the Kage Bunshin was because he saw it as an easy way to pass. In my eyes, anyway. **

**Anyway, thanks again for the review.**

**Well, I guess that's all I need to say. Next chapter will be up within two weeks, as per usual. **


	6. Empty

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

* * *

_Chapter 6_

_Empty_

_The more the universe seems comprehensible, the more it also seems pointless.  
__Steven Weinberg_

* * *

**Land of Rivers  
****With Temari  
****9:11 PM**

Temari bit down hard on her lip, drawing blood, having placed her weight on her bad leg. It was an annoying injury. It was constantly giving off a slight ache, but whenever she put weight onto it, a flash of pain would travel through her leg.

Kankuro looked around, staring at the path of destruction in the forest.

"What are we doing, Temari?" Kankuro asked. "I thought you said that you saw the Shukaku."

"I did," Temari replied, clenching her teeth together in annoyance.

"Then why are we heading to the battlefield where you saw it?" Kankuro questioned. "I don't know about you, but I don't want to be around Gaara when he's freaked out enough to let his demon out."

Temari glared at Kankuro. "Stop being such a coward Kankuro. We have to find out what caused Gaara to go so far – and besides, if we don't get him to come back with us, I doubt he'd head back to Sunagakure."

"Everyone would probably be better off..."

Temari turned, and starting moving forward faster, seeing a small speck of red in the distance. She quickly darted towards the color, with Kankuro moving faster to keep up with her.

When she reached Gaara, however, she could only stare.

Her brother was broken. His body was splayed in the dirt, covered in scrapes and bruises, a long slash running from his shoulder to his chest. His head bent backwards at a crooked angle – his neck broken. His eyes stared unseeing upon some unknown deity – a being of immeasurable power, a creature of rage and destruction.

Kankuro finally caught up to her, and stopped short. "... Gaara?"

Temari didn't know what to feel. In a way she was happy. She had spent years in fear of her brother, going through each day wondering if he would kill her. At the same time, she felt... regret? Bitterness?

She leaned down, making sure to keep her ankle at a comfortable angle. Slowly she reached forward, and, hands shaking, pulled his eyes closed.

Standing up, she turned to Gaara. "Come on, grab some wood, we'll have to burn the body."

Usually, they would cut off his head to confirm his death, but Kankuro didn't argue. For some reason, it didn't feel like it would seem right to cut of Gaara's head.

* * *

**Land of Rivers  
****With Naruto  
****11:18**

Naruto leaned awkwardly against a tree. His arm was in a sling made of fabric from his jacket, which he had ripped off.

He had stayed in this position for the past hour, simply staring ahead of him. Suddenly, he fell to his knees, and retched. Nothing came up – most of the food in his body had been released when he had first come out of his rage induced state.

Naruto didn't feel sick due to the fact that he had killed someone. He had killed before, taken the life of Mizuki.

The boy... the killing machine. He had been insane, he had seen in his eyes. Only a black hole of rage, wanting to prove its own existence by taking away others existence.

Would he end up like that? Moving from one battle to the next, killing and killing, just to kill some more. No end in sight, until he was killed by a monster stronger than him?

Naruto was sure now, he was the Kyuubi.

What scared him, however, was that he was beginning to care less and less.

* * *

**Konoha  
****The Next Day  
****3:35 PM**

Kakashi Hatake looked with disinterest upon his new 'students', the potential new members of Team 7.

The first was Sasuke Uchiha. The last member of the Uchiha still loyal to Konoha, the other being Itachi Uchiha, Sasuke's brother, who had killed the rest of the Uchiha clan. The boy was silent, and generally apathetic towards those around him, though was filled with a powerful rage, all directed at his brother, for obvious reasons.

The next was Kiba Inuzuka, a loud mouthed member of the Inuzuka clan. He was wild and bold, not afraid to say his thoughts on a matter, no matter how offensive. Perched upon his head was his trusty canine companion, Akamaru, who was arguably the smarter of the two.

Finally, there was Hinata Hyuuga, the daughter of the Godaime Hokage, Hiashi Hyuuga. She was the heiress to the Hyuuga clan, set to become head of the clan upon the day her father stepped down. She was a nervous, and generally shy girl, who was generally seen as weak due to her non-violent nature.

All three were completely different, yet also slightly similar at the same time. In terms of personality, they were extremely diverse, but in terms of skills and abilities, all three relied heavily upon their clans jutsu – Hinata on her Byakugan, while Sasuke would likely do the same with his Sharingan, and Kiba would likely be completely lost without the powerful senses granted to him by being a member of the Inuzuka.

Kakashi sighed. He couldn't wait until this team failed, and he could get back to actually important things – such as pornographic novels, and A to S rank missions.

* * *

**Konoha Mission Office  
****3:35 PM**

"Yosh! Hokage-sama, we humbly request a C-Rank mission!"

Hiashi rubbed his forehead with annoyance, feeling a head ache coming on. Honestly, he had to wonder how his nephew dealt with this every day.

Hiashi dragged his eyes across the team in front of him.

Maito Gai was the... eccentric leader of Team Gai, and was well known to be a loud and proud individual, who tended to make claims of his youthfulness, and train to the point of near death. Still, he was a taijutsu expert, Konoha's only taijutsu expert at that – so he deserved complete respect.

Rock Lee, the mini clone of Gai, acted just like Gai, and looked just like him too, except for being a child, and not wearing a jounin vest.

Tenten... something... was apparently a weapon expert of some sort. She never missed, if his reports were accurate – receiving a perfect score on the weapons section of her Academy Graduation the previous year.

Neji Hyuuga, his previously mentioned nephew was, as per usual, was completely indifferent to everything happening before him. When he was younger, his father, Hiashi's brother, Hizashi, had taken Hiashi's place in death, pretending to be him, allowing Konoha to avoid an all-out war with Kumogakure.

Since then, Neji had been a hateful individual, believing that one's life was controlled completely by fate. And Hiashi didn't blame him entirely. His brother and him had had problems – but Hizashi had been a Hyuuga, not in the main branch, but a Hyuuga nonetheless. That deserved him some respect.

The bond between them wasn't strong, but they had been brothers, and Hizashi had given his life, so that he wouldn't give up his. Hiashi _had _tried to find an alternative to that, but Hizashi had insisted, and his fate was sealed.

"Very well, Gai," Hiashi said 'Gai' as if he was saying 'vermin'.

Hiashi pulled out a small scroll with the label 'C' upon it. He held it out to Gai, who instantly grabbed at it, looking like a child receiving a Christmas present.

"Your client will be waiting at the Southern Gate tomorrow, in the early morning," Hiashi said calmly.

Gai cheered, and started yelling something about youthfulness.

"You are _dismissed _Gai," Hiashi said, narrowing his eyes.

The Jonin obviously noticed some danger signs, as he motioned for his team to exit the missions office.

Once outside, the team waited expectantly for Gai to give them information on the mission.

Gai quickly looked over the scroll, and jumped in excitement as he finished it. "Yosh! We have a youthful mission to the Land of Waves, escorting a wise and youthful bridge builder home!"

Lee pumped a fist in the air. "Yosh! I promise to get the bridge builder to the Land of Waves safely! If I fail, I will climb the Hokage monument with my teeth!"

Neji and Tenten groaned, as Gai and Lee began to go on a diatribe about youthfulness. Honestly, Gai almost seemed like a child some days. Okay, every day.

* * *

**Land of Fire  
****Utsukushi Mura  
****8:36 PM**

Tsunade of the Sannin bent her head back as she downed another bottle of sake. She was tired, yet coherent. Scarily coherent. The news had reached her several days earlier – her sensei, Hiruzen Sarutobi had passed away.

If she was younger, less cynical, she might have felt sadness over this fact. But she knew more about the world now. Knew that everyone dies, and that in the end, it means nothing. In hundreds of years, when the greed and hatred that filled the Shinobi Nations finally became too much, and everything was lost, who would remember the kindness of someone as small and insignificant, as one leader among many.

Her student, Shizune, would probably be worried about her at this point. She should go. But she won't, because of the person entering the bar.

She sighed as he took a seat next to her.

"Jiraiya," Tsunade said coldly, knowing the reason he was there.

"Tsunade," Jiraiya replied, not cold like her, but calmly, and with a touch of warmth. "We need to talk."

Tsunade grimaced, and grabbed another bottle of sake, quickly taking a gulp from it. "Yeah... yeah, I suppose we do."

* * *

**Unknown Location  
****Unknown Time**

It was a short meeting, as always. A simple discussion of current plans, finances, and recent events. It changed everything about the organization, however.

"There has been a change of direction."

The voice was calm, calculating... emotionless.

Another, crackly voice rose up. "In what way?"

"Itachi and Kisame... your target will now be changed to the Hachibi," the voice intoned. "Hidan, Kukuzu, you will go after the Kyuubi now."

"... Why?"

"I wish to have Itachi going after the stronger of the holders, as he will be able to easily subdue them, due to the Mangekyo Sharingan. Naruto Uzumaki is weak and alone. He no longer has the protection of Konoha – he will be vulnerable. It should be simple for you to catch him."

Someone growled, likely due to the fact that they were implied as weaker than Itachi.

"... This is acceptable."

Now it was a deep voice, slightly gravelly.

"Along with this, our plans will be moving ahead faster. Hopefully, we will be able to enact our final plan within four months."

"And what exactly is our plan? You haven't told us yet."

"Trust me, you will know of it in time."

A small grunt of annoyance echoed through the area.

"You've been saying that since the beginning. I'm beginning to think you're just another mad man with illusions of power."

"... Have faith."

"Whatever..."

"You are all dismissed, we will meet again next month."

* * *

**Land of Rivers  
****3:04 AM**

Naruto didn't know when he started walking. He also didn't know where he was walking. He had no set destination, but it seemed his entire life was like that. Walking on and on, with no true end in sight.

The world's biggest joke.

He was vaguely aware of the fact that it was raining, and that his feet were in pain. Things were slightly losing focus. He hadn't had anything to drink the past day, nor anything to eat. He also hadn't slept, and that was beginning to weight on him.

He didn't care though. He felt... numb. Finally, he collapsed. He felt cold, and the world was dark around him.

Most of his body was in pain, but it didn't make him unhappy. He would rather focus on the pain, than the cold hard fact that had been rearing it's ugly head all day long.

He was a demon, his life was pointless. Nothing mattered, and nothing would ever matter. Life was pain and suffering, and the only freedom was to die.

Truly, those who have already passed on are enviable.

Naruto had to wonder, as he lost consciousness, if he would die that night. If it would even matter if he did. The world would still turn, and no one would truly miss him.

It would mean nothing, just one death among many, a growing pile of dead bodies.

* * *

When Naruto next woke up he had to wonder if he was dead. There was no pain, but his mouth was dry, and his arm felt numb. He shifted his eyes around the room he was in. He didn't have much to compare it to – the only bedroom he could remember being in was his own.

It was plain, however. The only thing within it was a small rug, and the bed he was sleeping on. The door to the room was cracked open, letting in a small amount of candlelight. To his right, he could see out the window. It was dark out. How much time had passed? Was it the same night? Where was he?

Naruto shifted slightly, moving to stand up, but the world spun around him, and he collapsed back to the bed.

Maybe he could sleep just a little longer.

* * *

**Author's Note**

**First off, I would like to apologize. This is a week late, but honestly, I doubt anyone would have noticed if it weren't for me mentioning it. But honestly, stuff got in the way. Life does that sometimes. **

**I would like to thank all of those who reviewed, and reply to a few...**

**The Keeper of Worlds: Well, you never know, that could happen. Well, I do. You don't.**

**Gen Malaise: Naruto could have gone to Suna. It just wouldn't have made sense, given the situation, what with Gaara trying to brutally kill him and all. For some reason, I don't think Naruto would have been too high on the idea after that.**

**Imsabbel: Meh, I personally feel that precautions and laws have to be in place to prevent such ****things. You also have to remember the fact that this isn't current society. This takes place in some alternate time/dimension, where such practices could be common, and thus not very worrisome. I imagine most clan heads would have the ability to look past such a thing if there are precautions to prevent the branding of others. Just my opinion.**

**Aprilliarsv: I don't know about Hiashi being relatively unknown outside of village walls. He is the head of the Hyuuga, a clan well known for its skills in taijutsu, and it's extremely useful and famous, Byakugan. Asuma or Kakashi as Hokage? I am unsure if Asuma would actually consider taking the job, due to his rocky relationship with his father. Seems like he's the type to avoid his father's shadow. Kakashi might be famous in battle, but the guy has major issues, that still haven't been resolved, and would probably not accept it anyway. **

**BanannahHair: Yeah, longer chapters would probably be a good idea, but I really don't like stretching my point out across large spaces. I like ending chapters at certain points, but I guess I could add some length to my chapters. Kurama underused in part one stories? Well, the normal Kurama perhaps. There seems to be no end to the FemKyuubi stories out there. **

**Moving on... this was mainly a transitional chapter, no major plot points, but it was necessary. I was actually half asleep when I wrote it, and had to go back and correct a lot of spelling and grammar later on. I don't really remember much of my thought process at the time. I just woke up in the middle of the night and started writing...**

**Anyway, enough about that. See you next chapter.**


	7. Innocence in Spades

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

* * *

_Chapter 7  
__Innocence in Spades_

"_Out of the night that covers me,  
__Black as the pit from pole to pole,  
__I thank whatever gods may be  
__For my unconquerable soul._

_In the fell clutch of circumstance  
__I have not winced nor cried aloud.  
__Under the bludgeonings of chance  
__My head is bloody, but unbowed._

_Beyond this place of wrath and tears  
__Looms but the Horror of the shade,  
__And yet the menace of the years  
__Finds, and shall find, me unafraid._

_It matters not how strait the gate.  
__How charged with punishments the scroll.  
__I am the master of my fate:  
__I am the captain of my soul."_

_Invictus by William Ernest Henley_

* * *

**Land of Fire  
****Utsukushi Mura  
****8:38 PM**

"So, what do you want?" Tsunade knew the answer to the question, she just wanted a way to start the conversation.

"... With sensei gone, they've placed Hiashi Hyuuga in power."

Tsunade nodded, having already heard that piece of news.

"He's ordered me to tell you... to tell you that your absence from Konoha will no longer be accepted, and you are to return immediately."

Tsunade glanced at Jiraiya calmly, no surprise on her face. "Tell him no."

"No? Tsunade, there's no choice in the matter, you have to come back. Hiashi isn't a forgiving person, he'll label you a nukenin." Jiraiya's was starting to raise his voice.

"Let him, I don't care," Tsunade said, her shoulders hunched slightly. The grip she had on her bottle had tightened.

Jiraiya stared at her for a moment, before anger covered his face.

"... Tsunade, this isn't just about you," Jiraiya said. "Think about someone other than yourself for once – think about Shizune."

Jiraiya stood up, glaring at Tsunade.

"You've spent the past years drowning yourself in alcohol, holding a pity party for yourself. Well no more." Jiraiya was now whispering. "If you don't come back to Konoha, Shizune will be labeled a nukenin as well as you. I'm not saying she can't handle herself, but is that really the life you want for her to live? After she's dealt with all your shit for-"

"Shut up!" The bottle had shattered in Tsunade's hand, slicing it. "Fine... just... fine."

* * *

**Land of Fire  
****The Next Day  
****10:43 AM**

Tenten was completely calm as she walked. She had no reason to be worried – she had been on multiple C-Rank missions before – there was very little chance of them running into trouble, really.

That was why she was surprised when a chain wrapped around her sensei. She didn't freeze up, however. Neji, Lee and herself instantly took a protective formation around the client, Tazuna the bridge builder.

They needn't have bothered – Gai was able to dispatch the ninja effortlessly. The Green Beast of Konoha tore through the chain with ease, before grabbing hold of said chain and swinging his attackers around.

Using his superhuman strength, along with the attackers momentum, Gai slammed the duo into the ground, instantly killing one of them, and breaking both the legs of the other.

After that display, Tazuna quickly spilled his guts out, telling them all about Gato, and his tyrannical hold on the people of Wave.

Gai was only happy to march on – after all, it's not youthful to abandon those in need.

* * *

**Sunagakure no Sato  
****1:45 PM**

Orochimaru raised his eyebrow at the statement of the Yondaime Kazekage, before smirking slightly.

"So, little Gaara is dead is he? Kukuku..."

The Kazekage watched Orochimaru carefully, not even batting an eye over the fact that he was laughing at the death of his son.

Orochimaru found the whole situation amusing. It wasn't that he hadn't had any plans for Gaara – quite the opposite actually. However, he did hold a tiny bit of a grudge against a certain group of cloak wearing S-Rank criminals.

It just so happened that the death of Gaara would throw a huge monkey wrench in the plans of said group, seeing as it would take years for the Shukaku to reform, allowing said group of cloaked individuals to capture it.

It did, however, present a bit of a problem. Without Gaara, all of his plans for an invasion of Konoha were pretty much thrown out the window. He would have to come up with something else, and definitely postpone the attack.

Ah well, sometimes things just don't work out.

* * *

**Unknown Location  
****Unknown Time**

"The Shukaku **is dead as a doornail."**

When it spoke, it almost seemed that it was two different beings speaking. Pein knew this not to be true. It was simply Zetsu, and Zetsu was a being of two minds.

"I see..."

That could change Akatsuki's plans drastically. Then again, the Shukaku wasn't a completely necessary component. No, peace would be gained. And soon. All that mattered was getting at least six. Only six.

* * *

**Chisanamachi  
****3:34 PM**

When Naruto next woke up, light was filtering through the window, casting a soft glow over the room. He sat up slowly, noticing a slight ache in his stomach. He stood up from his place bed, hissing slightly at the tearing pain in his feet, which were covered in bandages.

Naruto cast his eyes around the room. There were a few spots in his eyes, but they quickly disappeared. He could here someone talking outside of his room, their words indiscernible.

Naruto swayed for a second, before stepping towards the door. He reached for the doorknob, and clasped it shakily.

Only to nearly fall backwards as it was opened from the outside.

"Oh, you're up!"

Standing outside the room was a small girl, age likely four or five years old. She had straight black hair reaching down to her neck, and pale skin, with a cute dimple on her left cheek. She had chocolate brown eyes, and had a small pink teddy bear in her arms.

In other words, she was extremely cute.

"Daddy! The weird boy is awake!"

The girl scampered off, leaving Naruto confused as all hell. He glanced outside of the room, and turned his head from left to right. The room was situated on a long winding hallway with at least nine other doors. It was extremely plain, with the only decorations being a few pots with short plants that Naruto had never seen before, and a single bland painting of a bowl of fruit.

Naruto blinked, and leaned against the door frame. He tried to remember how he had gotten here. He had been walking, generally feeling very depressed, and then... nothing. At least he felt better now.

Naruto stepped out into the hallway, and walked in the direction the girl had ran off in. He appeared to be in an inn of some kind – though that was just speculation on his part, he had never been inside an inn.

He made his way through the inn slowly, finally reaching a staircase, which he walked down easily. It lead into a small barroom, which was empty except for the small girl from before, and a rather pudgy man with a long, wavy beard.

"Ah, so you're awake, then." The man said this with a light tone, while placing several large glasses on a shelf. "That's surprising to be honest. You were in a real bad shape when we brought you in earlier this morning."

"... I heal fast." Naruto's voice cracked. He needed water. He said as much.

"Water? Sure – Ichie, fetch the boy some water, please." The man said this while faced turned the girl. Her name was Ichie, apparently. A nice name.

The man finished placing the glasses on the shelf, and turned to fully face Naruto.

"The name's Minoru, by the way," he said. "If you couldn't tell, this is my inn."

Naruto nodded, unsure of what to say. The entire situation felt surreal to him. Hadn't it been only yesterday that he had faced the red haired boy in a fight to the death? Hadn't it been only a few weeks earlier that he had lived within the confines of Konoha, playing pranks on the unsuspecting villagers?

It all seemed so far away now, like some past life. Then again, maybe it was a past life. He certainly didn't feel the same – how could he, knowing that he was a demon? No, Naruto the human was a completely different person from Naruto the demon.

It was silent for a moment, before Ichie returned with the water.

"You're uh... you're welcome to stay for as long as you need to." Minoru said this with a kindly smile, as if it were perfectly natural to offer a complete stranger free room and board. "Chisanamachi doesn't get visitors often, so it's no trouble."

Naruto nodded, still dazed. "... Thank you."

"You will, of course, have to work as well." Minoru had picked Ichie up and placed her on his lap.

"Of course," Naruto replied agreeably.

Naruto didn't no why, but he felt... at ease.

* * *

**Outskirts of Chisanamachi  
****4:01 PM**

They were perched outside the village, walking.

"Why aren't we attacking yet, exactly?" He asked in annoyance.

"... The Kyuubi isn't the only one in this town, you know." His partner replied, sangfroid, voice gravelly. "A nukenin by the name of Touma Harada, using the name Minoru Fukui."

"... So?"

"I want time to prepare – so as to minimize losses."

"What's so special about this Touma Harada guy anyway?"

"Nothing much, just an A-Rank bordering S-Rank. He does have a certain special ability which could be detrimental to my overall health."

"Then I'll deal with it, coward. It isn't like I can be killed."

"... I wouldn't if I were you."

The man scoffed. "Yeah, well, you're not. Jashin-sama wants a sacrifice – as such, I'm attacking."

"... You do that."

"I will!"

Indeed, he was already in motion.

Kakuzu sighed as his partner left the area. He now had two options – follow and help, or wait behind and let Hidan go it alone.

…

Hm.

* * *

**Chisanamachi  
****4:05 PM**

Naruto smiled as Ichie left the room. She was innocent, kind. Hadn't tasted the bitterness of the world. Had he ever been like that? It was getting harder and harder to remember.

Regardless, he was feeling tired again. He leaned his head against the pillow. When he woke up he would help Minoru with the inn – if help was required that is. There were no visitors as it was. Which made Naruto think that Chisanamachi must not have much in terms of traffic.

As he drifted off to sleep, he thought he heard the sound of someone entering the inn.

**Outside the Room**

Minoru smiled at the man kindly. He was a bit odd, but he got many odd customers. Besides, he was used to shinobi – he had once been one himself. But that was a long time ago.

"Hello, shinobi-san, how can I help you?"

"I was hoping for your help with something..." Hidan smirked. "You see, I can't help but notice that you have a very healthy body. And I was hoping to sacrifice it to Jashin-sama."

Minoru's smile melted. Jashin was well known throughout the Elemental Nations as an extremely violent religion, which involved a plethora of ritual sacrifices.

"So you're Touma Harada? Don't know why Kakuzu was making such a big deal about you – you don't seem so tough."

Minoru was standing now, his hair casting a shadow over his eyes. "So, I've been discovered..."

Hidan flashed him a bloodthirsty grin. "Yes, yes you have..." He yanked his three pronged scythe from its sheath. "Now die!"

* * *

**Author's Note**

**Well, it has been a while, hasn't it? I don't have much to say here, just that this story _might _be going on hiatus for a bit. Nothing serious, maybe a month or two. I have some other stuff I'm working on, but you know...**

**Anyway, as always, I will reply to your reviews. Ahem...**

**The Keeper of Worlds: Ah, thank you. To be honest, I almost didn't kill Gaara off. But it had to happen for... certain events to happen.**

**RamenKnight: Bounce back? I have too many horrible things to do to him first.**

**Guest #1: Thank you, I like to think it's a supert story as well.**

**AllAmericanNick: Thank you, good sir.**

**BanannahHair: Actually, the seven tails is in Takigakure, if I remember correctly. Which isn't in the Land of Rivers. I could just be screwing up my Naruto geography, however, so don't quote me on it.**

**Guest #2: Tends to happen when one's entire world view is shattered, and are taken over by their killing instincts. But, you know.**

**Irnzenmonk: Thank you very much.**

**Anyway, see you later.**


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